Overall, since my last update I have really enjoyed what I have done with my senior project. My biking finished up last week and I started the running portion of my senior project this previous week. The running has been incredibly enjoyable and the weather has also been perfect in regards to the running. Also, while running I feel as though I am able to investigate the access and ability to use these paths throughout the city compared to the bike because of the ability to move around easier in running compared to biking. 

This previous Sunday I ran the New York City Runs Brooklyn Half Marathon. The course took from Willaimsburg, under the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge and up Flatbush to Prospect Park. Overall, I found this experience to be one of the most inspiring and enjoyable things I have ever had the pleasure of doing. It also was a really fascinating way to connect to my project of sustainability. A big thing that I noticed which is a staple throughout all road races is the amount of trash that is generated because of it. There are water stations set up throughout the entirety of the course. These stations have hundreds and hundreds of paper cups and instead of getting discarded immediately these cups are thrown on the ground along the course of the race. Seeing all these cups across the street is a very weird thing to see and it makes you wonder what happens after the race concludes. 

For a lot of the race the city shuts down a good portion of Brooklyn. It was really interesting to see the amount of effort put into endorsing an adventure sport like running. Although these races happen to mostly be about competing against each other and yourself, another part of it happens to be about broadcasting the activity and action of running to the outside public. Fans and supporters were lining the streets ready to cheer everyone on. I can’t recall how many times I have watched my mom compete in one of these races as a fan and to be on the other side of it was a really rewarding and cool experience. It seemed as though everyone who was there both running and supporting was there to endorse and bring forth the world of running for all of the public to see. 

In the end, I really enjoyed the entire experience of running in the New York City Runs Brookyln Half Marathon. This was my first time competing in a race of this magnitude both in the amount of people and length of the run and I couldn’t have enjoyed it any more than I did. The next week of running is going to be a series of recovery runs coming back from the half marathon. I am looking forward to the next time I can do one of these runs because of how fun they are for me. I would most definitely recommend anyone who is thinking of doing it to do it.